tussilago
Coltsfoot grows abundantly throughout Europe, especially along the sides of railway banks and in waste places, on poor stiff soils, growing as well in wet ground as in dry situations. It has long-stalked, hoof-shaped leaves, about 4 inches across, with angular teeth on the margins. Both surfaces are covered, when young, with loose, white, felted woolly hairs, but those on the upper surface fall off as the leaf expands. This felty covering easily rubs off and before the introduction of matches, wrapped in a rag dipped in a solution of saltpetre and dried in the sun, used to be considered an excellent tinder.
Coltsfoot has been used in herbal medicine internally as tea or syrup or externally (directly applied) for treatment of disorders of the respiratory tract (dry cough and throat irritation), skin, locomotor system, viral infections, flu, colds, fever, rheumatism and gout.
tussilago
Coltsfoot grows abundantly throughout Europe, especially along the sides of railway banks and in waste places, on poor stiff soils, growing as well in wet ground as in dry situations. It has long-stalked, hoof-shaped leaves, about 4 inches across, with angular teeth on the margins. Both surfaces are covered, when young, with loose, white, felted woolly hairs, but those on the upper surface fall off as the leaf expands. This felty covering easily rubs off and before the introduction of matches, wrapped in a rag dipped in a solution of saltpetre and dried in the sun, used to be considered an excellent tinder.
Coltsfoot has been used in herbal medicine internally as tea or syrup or externally (directly applied) for treatment of disorders of the respiratory tract (dry cough and throat irritation), skin, locomotor system, viral infections, flu, colds, fever, rheumatism and gout.